Highway Maintenance Workers

Career Description: Maintain highways, municipal and rural roads, airport runways, and rights-of-way. Duties include patching broken or eroded pavement, repairing guard rails, highway markers, and snow fences. May also mow or clear brush from along road or plow snow from roadway.

Industry: Construction and Extraction

Other Job Titles for Highway Maintenance Workers:

• Realistic: Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
• Investigative: Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
• Artistic: Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
• Social: Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
• Enterprising: Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
• Conventional: Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
• First Interest High-Point: Primary-Rank Descriptiveness
• Second Interest High-Point: Secondary-Cutoff/Rank Descriptiveness
• Third Interest High-Point: Tertiary-Cutoff/Rank Descriptiveness

• Flag motorists to warn them of obstacles or repair work ahead.
• Set out signs and cones around work areas to divert traffic.
• Drive trucks or tractors with adjustable attachments to sweep debris from paved surfaces, mow grass and weeds, and remove snow and ice.
• Dump, spread, and tamp asphalt, using pneumatic tampers, to repair joints and patch broken pavement.
• Drive trucks to transport crews and equipment to work sites.
• Inspect, clean, and repair drainage systems, bridges, tunnels, and other structures.
• Haul and spread sand, gravel, and clay to fill washouts and repair road shoulders.
• Erect, install, or repair guardrails, road shoulders, berms, highway markers, warning signals, and highway lighting, using hand tools and power tools.
• Remove litter and debris from roadways, including debris from rock and mud slides.
• Clean and clear debris from culverts, catch basins, drop inlets, ditches, and other drain structures.
• Perform roadside landscaping work, such as clearing weeds and brush, and planting and trimming trees.
• Paint traffic control lines and place pavement traffic messages, by hand or using machines.
• Inspect markers to verify accurate installation.
• Apply poisons along roadsides and in animal burrows to eliminate unwanted roadside vegetation and rodents.
• Measure and mark locations for installation of markers, using tape, string, or chalk.
• Apply oil to road surfaces, using sprayers.
• Blend compounds to form adhesive mixtures used for marker installation.
• Place and remove snow fences used to prevent the accumulation of drifting snow on highways.
• Bolt component parts together to form tower assemblies, using hand tools.
• Paint a variety of objects related to electrical functions.
• Operate cutting torches and welding equipment, while working with conduit and metal components to construct devices associated with electrical functions.
• Break up concrete, using airhammer, to facilitate installation, construction, or repair of equipment.
• Solder electrical connections, using soldering iron.
• Trim trees and clear undergrowth along right-of-way.
• Assemble and cement sections of stained glass together.
• Measure, cut, fit, and press anti-glare adhesive film to glass, or spray glass with tinting solution to prevent light glare.
• Create patterns on glass by etching, sandblasting, or painting designs.
• Observe odometers, weight indicators, and instrument panels in trucks in order to position guns at predetermined points in wells.
• Repair electrical instruments, using electricians' hand tools.
• Operate hoists to lift power line poles into position.

Emerging Tasks

• Perform preventative maintenance on vehicles and heavy equipment.
• Drive heavy equipment and vehicles with adjustable attachments to sweep debris from paved surfaces, mow grass and weeds, remove snow and ice, and spread salt and sand.
• Hang ventilation tubing and ventilation curtains to ensure that the mining face area is kept properly ventilated.

• Analyzing Data or Information: Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
• Assisting and Caring for Others: Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
• Coaching and Developing Others: Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.
• Communicating with Persons Outside Organization: Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates: Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
• Controlling Machines and Processes: Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
• Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others: Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
• Developing and Building Teams: Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
• Developing Objectives and Strategies: Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.
• Documenting/Recording Information: Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
• Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment: Providing documentation, detailed instructions, drawings, or specifications to tell others about how devices, parts, equipment, or structures are to be fabricated, constructed, assembled, modified, maintained, or used.
• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships: Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
• Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information: Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.
• Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards: Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
• Getting Information: Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
• Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates: Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.
• Handling and Moving Objects: Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events: Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
• Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material: Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
• Interacting With Computers: Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
• Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others: Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
• Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People: Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems: Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
• Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings: Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
• Monitoring and Controlling Resources: Monitoring and controlling resources and overseeing the spending of money.
• Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment: Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.
• Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work: Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
• Performing Administrative Activities: Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork.
• Performing for or Working Directly with the Public: Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
• Performing General Physical Activities: Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
• Processing Information: Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
• Provide Consultation and Advice to Others: Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics.
• Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment: Servicing, repairing, calibrating, regulating, fine-tuning, or testing machines, devices, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of electrical or electronic (not mechanical) principles.
• Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment: Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles.
• Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others: Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
• Scheduling Work and Activities: Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
• Selling or Influencing Others: Convincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions.
• Staffing Organizational Units: Recruiting, interviewing, selecting, hiring, and promoting employees in an organization.
• Thinking Creatively: Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
• Training and Teaching Others: Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
• Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge: Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.

Detailed Work Activities

• adhere to safety procedures
• apply adhesives, caulking, sealants, or coatings
• dig holes or trenches for foundations, posts, poles, or related items
• drive truck with capacity greater than 3 tons
• erect fences, guard rails, highway markers, or related structures
• fabricate, assemble, or disassemble manufactured products by hand
• measure and mark lay out for construction projects
• mix paint, ingredients, or chemicals, according to specifications
• move materials or goods between work areas
• move or fit heavy objects
• operate jackhammer
• operate pneumatic tamper to patch pavement or tamp earth
• operate power construction equipment
• operate tractor with accessories or attachments
• read tape measure
• transport passengers or cargo
• understand construction specifications
• use concrete fabrication techniques
• use hand or power tools
• use traffic control procedures
• use hand or power tools
• use hand or power woodworking tools
• use measuring devices in construction or extraction work
• use measuring devices in construction or extraction work
• use spray paint equipment
• work as a team member
• use two-way radio or mobile phone
• work as a team member
• solder electrical or electronic connections or components
• test electrical/electronic wiring, equipment, systems or fixtures
• test electronic or electrical circuit connections
• use acetylene welding/cutting torch
• use basic carpentry techniques
• use chain saws
• use electrical or electronic test devices or equipment
• use hand or power tools
• use measuring devices in construction or extraction work
• use soldering equipment
• use voltmeter, ammeter, or ohmmeter
• resolve or assist workers to resolve work problems
• resolve personnel problems or grievances
• schedule employee work hours
• set priorities for construction workers
• understand construction specifications
• use hand or power tools
• write employee orientation or training materials
• use interpersonal communication techniques
• use measuring devices in construction or extraction work
• use oscilloscopes in electronics repair
• use soldering equipment
• use voltmeter, ammeter, or ohmmeter
• use hazardous materials information
• use measuring devices in construction or extraction work
• use spray paint equipment
• use surfacing machine to polish terrazzo or concrete
• verify levelness or verticality, using level or plumb bob
• work as a team member
• understand construction specifications
• use basic carpentry techniques
• use basic plumbing techniques
• use building materials for routine building maintenance
• use building or land use regulations
• use concrete fabrication techniques
• use hand or power tools
• use hand or power woodworking tools
• use hazardous materials information
• use measuring devices in construction or extraction work
• use oral or written communication techniques
• verify trueness of structure using plumb bob or level
• weld together metal parts, components, or structures

Overall Experience
Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience may be helpful in these occupations, but usually is not needed. For example, a teller might benefit from experience working directly with the public, but an inexperienced person could still learn to be a teller with little difficulty.

Job Training
Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees.

Education
These occupations usually require a high school diploma and may require some vocational training or job-related course work. In some cases, an associate's or bachelor's degree could be needed.

Examples
These occupations often involve using your knowledge and skills to help others. Examples include sheet metal workers, forest fire fighters, customer service representatives, pharmacy technicians, salespersons (retail), and tellers.

• Average hourly wage (2007) -$15.67
• Average annual wage (2007) - $32,600.00

• Projected growth (2006-2016): 8.90%
• Projected need (2006-2016): 12,925
• Employment (2006): 145,216

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• Mechanical Door Repairers
• Welders, Cutters, and Welder Fitters
• Tile and Marble Setters